Woman Sentenced for Multiple Counts of Attempted Murder and Causing Great Bodily Injury

Defendant Jessica Garcia-Leos, 32 years old of Santa Rosa, was sentenced today to state prison for a term of thirty years and eight months in state prison by the Honorable Philip Pennypacker after having pled guilty in April of this year to two counts of attempted murder, and enhancements for committing great bodily injury. The defendant also admitted an enhancement for having suffered a prior “strike” offense in 2006.

District Attorney Ravitch noted, “The injuries to the victims in this case were significant and will require long-term care. This was a calculated act and the lengthy prison sentence is appropriate.”

On November 14, 2015, the defendant went to the former El Rey nightclub with her then boyfriend. Witnesses described the defendant becoming jealous of, and later confronting, her boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend, who was at the nightclub with her friends and family. A verbal confrontation began between the parties and the defendant physically attacked the former girlfriend. After that attack was stopped, the defendant broke a beer bottle over the bar and used it to stab her boyfriend in the face.

As the injured parties left the nightclub to await an ambulance, the defendant, who had previously driven out of the parking lot, returned in her vehicle and intentionally drove into the group of people, hitting and significantly injuring five victims. The victims of the vehicle assault included the defendant’s boyfriend, her boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend, the ex-girlfriend’s two family members, and a bartender from the El Rey. The defendant immediately fled the scene, crashing her car en-route to her home. She was taken into custody shortly thereafter.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Laura Passaglia, assisted by District Attorney Investigator Dave Lundgren. The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department led the criminal investigation, under the direction of Detective Jeffrey Toney.